Further funding to help APTCOO works

.Staff from Sainsbury`s present �500 to APTCOO today after a series of fundraising events from the left are Louise Taylor Sainsburys,Helen Stallings APTCOO,Carol Burkitt APTCOO and Clire Trotter Sainsburys

Published:08:40Thursday 13 October 2011

AFTER a summer of hard work by dedicated volunteers who have helped transform the premises of Chad Charity APTCOO, vital funding has been secured to help finish the job off.

The disabled children’s charity, based at Botany Park in Mansfield, has been given a significant amount of funding from the Nottinghamshire County Council Short Breaks project.

This cash, along with other donations which are being sought from private donors, will fund the improvement works that could not be done during APTCOO’s two-week DIY SOS during the summer.

Said Carol Burkitt, the chief executive officer: “This significant funding will allow APTCOO to complete the full refurbishment of the premises, including the toilet facilities, which will be getting specialist changing facilities to allow our children to have more dignity when getting changed.”

Other works that will be covered by the funding are new carpeting in the main room and the erection of a projector screen that will enable APTCOO to hold movie nights for its youngsters.

The kitchen area is set to benefit from new non-slip flooring and a new work area with better wheelchair access, while the opening of an internet cafe for informal computer use and the creation of an IT learning suite, are both now likely to become a reality sooner rather than later.

“The computer suite will allow learning to take place through fun and enable progress to formal learning, leading to accredited qualifications,” said Carol.

All the improvement works planned or already carried out came following a consultation with parents, who created a wishlist of what they and their children wanted to see at APTCOO.

Carol said that this enabled a list of priorities to be drawn up, with the one big thing still to do being to create an outdoor play and garden area, about which negotiations and plans are already underway.

Carol added: “Though we are extremely pleased to have secured this funding, local grants and donations are still needed to complete the full wishlist.”

Mansfield Sainsbury’s has offered its first financial support to APTCOO, donating £500 raised during various activities.